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Asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese

Recipe for asparagus empanadas filled with asparagus, fava beans, fresh peas, goat cheese and thyme. Serve the empanadas with a balsamic chimichurri sauce.

Empanadas filled with asparagus, fava beans, peas and goat cheese

It’s time for a new empanada recipe! This time I prepared asparagus empanadas that are filled with asparagus, fava beans, fresh peas, goat cheese and thyme. These vegetarian empanadas are a great way to celebrate spring and early summer vegetables. I find that empanadas are a great way to use seasonal ingredients.

Spring vegetable empanadas filled with asparagus, fava beans, peas, and goat cheese

Farmers’ market season is just starting here in the PNW (this is luckily also coinciding with some great weather). I love going to the market and filling my basket with delicious and fresh veggies and fruits. I usually don’t have a pre-set plan about what I’m going to cook and just let the fresh ingredients be my inspiration.

Vegetarian empanadas

 
I love asparagus. I love fava beans – known as habas in Ecuador and usually available year-round there, so I’ve really learned to appreciate them in the US since they are much more seasonal. I love fresh peas; it’s very common to see ladies with baskets filled with bags of fresh shelled peas on the streets in Ecuador. And of course, I love goat cheese.

Sauteed asparagus, fava beans and peas

This goat cheese and asparagus empanada filling on its own is delicious and can easily be a great side dish or a topping for crostini or toast. As usual, I highly recommend serving these asparagus empanadas with a dipping sauce, I personally love the balsamic chimichurri sauce it goes great with the vegetable and goat cheese filling. For the empanada dough, you can either make your own at home, or buy the frozen empanada discs at your local Latin grocery store.

Asparagus and goat cheese empanadas
Spring vegetable empanadas filled with asparagus, fava beans, peas, and goat cheese

Asparagus empanadas with fava bean, peas and goat cheese

Asparagus empanadas filled with asparagus, fava beans, fresh peas, goat cheese and thyme. Serve the empanadas with a balsamic chimichurri sauce.
4.87 from 23 votes
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Course: Appetizer, Snack, Starter
Cuisine: Fusion, Latin, South American
Keyword: Asparagus, Asparagus empanadas, Asparagus empanadas with fava bean, peas and goat cheese, Empanadas, Fava beans, Goat cheese, Peas, Spring vegetable empanadas
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 to 15 medium sized empanadas

Ingredients

Asparagus goat cheese filling

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup finely diced white onion about 2 ounces or ¼ of a large white onion
  • ½ lb of asparagus about ½ medium sized bunch, washed and cut into 1-1 ½ inch pieces
  • 1 cup of twice peeled fava beans about 5 ounces
  • 1 cup of fresh shelled green peas about 5 ounces
  • 4 ounces of goat cheese crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme can be replaced with ½ tablespoon of dried thyme
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Empanada assembly

  • 12-15 empanada discs use homemade dough or store-bought empanada discs
  • 1 egg whisked – to be used as egg wash

Dipping sauce suggestion:

Instructions

Asparagus goat cheese filling

  • Melt the butter over medium heat, add the diced onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
  • Add the asparagus and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the fava beans and cook for about 3 minutes.
  • Add the peas and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the vegetables cool down slightly.
  • Mix the vegetables with goat cheese and fresh thyme, save the filling until ready to assemble the empanadas.

Empanada assembly

  • To assemble the empanadas, place a spoonful of the asparagus, fava bean, peas and goat cheese mix on the center of each empanada disc.
  • If needed, brush the edges of the empanada discs with the egg white or water, this is will help them seal better and keep the filling from leaking while baking .
  • Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges. You can either use a fork to help seal the empanadas, or use your fingers to twist and curl the edges or to make a repulgue or curled seal for the empanadas.
  • Brush the empanadas with the egg wash; this will give them a nice golden glow when they bake.
  • If you have time, chill the empanadas for at least 30 minutes, this will help them seal better and prevent leaks.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 400 F and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
  • Serve the empanadas with the balsamic chimichurri sauce.
Asparagus empanadas

Related recipes:
Homemade empanada dough 
Balsamic chimichurri sauce 

Step by step preparation photos for asparagus empanadas with fava beans, peas and goat cheese

Fresh vegetables for empanadas
Cook the diced onions in butter for about 5 minutes
Add the asparagus and cook for another 5 minutes
Add the fava beans and cook for about 3 minutes
Add the peas and cook for another 3-5 minutes
Add salt and pepper to taste and let the vegetable mix cool down
Mix in the goat cheese and fresh thyme
Place a generous spoonful of the asparagus filling onto the center of each empanada disc
Fold and seal the empanadas using your fingers or a fork
For best results refrigerate the empanadas for 30 minutes before baking
Brush the empanadas with the egg wash and bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes
Freshly baked empanadas
Asparagus empanada recipe
Asparagus, fava beans, peas and goat cheese empanadas with chimichurri sauce
Fresh asparagus, fava beans and peas
Asparagus and goat cheese empanada filling
Asparagus goat cheese empanada recipe
Asparagus empanadas with chimichurri sauce

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9 Comments

  1. Dear Laylita, love ur food! just one question.. the empanada discs that i buy in the supermarket ¿can be cooked in the oven? “goya disc”
    tx :)

    1. Hi Maggie – Yes, they can. They have some that are specifically only for frying, others that are for baking, and some that are for either frying or baking. If they say “para hornear” it means they are for baking (and “para freir” means for frying).

  2. Wow! Just got back from Ecuador trip where I fell in love with empanadas. No one city or restaurant had them alike. Anxious to try yours. Also fell in love with something that looked ( sort of) like a hush puppy and was very orange in color. We loved it…it was fried with a crispy outside and sweet tender inside. I think it was made with cornmeal. Help me! When we asked at restaurant the only thing we could translate about it was sugar. Can you help me figure this out?

  3. What a beautiful post and what delicious empanadas…A must for me real soon.

  4. Laylita! these empanadas look amazing! thank you for your recipes, your imagination and the amazing pictures, is a pleasure to look at your recipes. I have made quite a few of your recipes and they are always a hit! thank you!

  5. Dear Laylita, your Ecuadorean recipes bring sweet memories of my dear Ecuador, I had try many of them, then compare with my sisters, what our dear mother used to add or not to the recipes. Believe me both my mother and you are the best Ecuadorian ambassadors .

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